Container for packing live larvae for shipping and storage



March 2, '1954 GOULD 2,670,562

CONTAINER FOR PACKING LIVE LARVAE FOR SHIPPING AND STORAGE Filed Feb. 6, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

Fred/76k 600/0 BY Q fir Q I ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED sTATEs PATENT o-Fncr.

CONTAINER FOR-PACKING LIVELARVAE FOR; SHIPPING AND STORAGE s iqli'f e ng e i. Application February 6, 1952, Serial No. 270,264

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the packing .of live larvae of the cocoon formingvariety and such as are commonly used for, or aresuitable for use as, bait in fishing. Large wax moth larvae are commonly used for this purpose. 7 v Y.

In packing live larvae for storage or shipping, they are customarily placed in a container before or during the cocoon forming stage, so that when the package is opened for removal of the larvae, the cocoons formed during confinement are interconnected and those which are adjacent to the walls of the container are attachedthereto, thus not only necessitating separating the cocoons from the container walls, but also breaking open the cocoons to render the encased larvae accessible for use. v

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a packing case for said larvae, which case has a compartment of shallow depth and of a width and length suitable for receiving a number of larvae in spaced relation and in a single layer, whereby the cocoon of each larva will adhere to the opposed walls of the case in its shallow dimension and will separate and expose the larvae of all cocoons when one of said opposing walls is removed from the case, thus permitting easy removal of the larvae by the fisherman or other user.

Another object of the invention is to join and attach together a number of said larvae containing cases, one over another, whereby the top or bottom of one forms, respectively, the bottom or top of an adjoining case, so that in separating or removing one case from another its top or bottom, as the case may be, is removed, carrying the attached portions of the enclosed cocoons therewith and exposing the contained larvae.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of a plurality of packing cases embodying the invention attached together one above another and with the cover of the top case partly broken away to expose the cocoon encased larvae therein; Fig. 2 is a plan of one of such packing cases with the cover re- .moved and with a few larvae exposed therein with their cocoons partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the inner side of a cover removed from a packing case with portions of the cocoons attached thereto, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a packing case taken on the line A in Fig. 1 and showing the cover partly separated from the case body and the cocoons broken by such separation.

Referring to the drawings, I designates a storage or shipping case or container for live larvae of the type described. The body of this case comprisesabottom 2,, opposing sidewalls}, 3,1.opposing end walls 4, 4, forming an open topcompartment 5 that is or may be closed by a cover 6. The cover is or may be securedto the side walls by short nails 1. A row of larvae 8 is placed in the compartment 5 on its bottom and preferably positioned crosswise of the compartment withits ends slightly spaced from the sidewalls of the compartment and ,with ,the. larvae themselves preferably slightly spaced fromeach other.

The depth of. the compartment corresponds substantially to the thickness of the larvae 8 so that when the larvae have been placed in the container and the cover placed thereon the cocoons 9, which later form on the larvae, adhere to the inner sides of the bottom and cover of the container. It is thus apparent that when the bottom and cover of acase are relatively separated the cocoons will be broken so as to expose the larvae with portions of each cocoon adhering to said separated portions, as indicated in Fig. 6. The compartments 5 are of a length to accommodate a row of larvae of any desired number and preferably to provide slight spaces between the different larvae. It has been the practice to pack the larvae seventy-five in a case and to cover approximately fifty percent of the bottom space of the compartment with the larvae.

In Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the cocoons are shown as broken open by the relative separation of the bottom and cover of the case. When the larvae have thus been exposed they may be easily removed from the remaining portion of the cocoons. While individual containers may be used and shipped or stored alone, it is preferable, due to the shallowness of the containers, to mount them in packs or tiers one on top of another, and in such case to utilize the bottom of each superposed container as the top of the container next below, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. It will only be necessary then to place a cover 6 on the top container of the pack. When the containers are arranged in this manner, each one is secured to the one next below by short brads ID that are driven down through the side walls 3 of each container into the respective side walls of the container next below, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. At the same time, the cover 6 on the top container is secured thereto by its brads I. It is apparent that the containers may be easily separated one from another and the covers easily separated from the containers to which secured by a simple prying action with a screwdriver or the blade of a knife.

It is found in practice that larvae may be kept alive for indefinite periods when packed in these containers, as sufficient air is admitted through the cracks and through the material, which for such reasoa'isip'rereraely wood,to s'u'stairl life.

I wishit'llndefstood *that my invention is'hot limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, or to the particular method described, as numerous modifications and changes will be apparent to persons skilled inthe art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. Live larvae packing and storing mean-seem prising a container having a bottom, side and end walls forming "an open top compartment the depth of which is substantially the thickness 'ozia larva to 'be store'd, a i-removab-ie cover for the container closin the'c'ompartrn-ent "oritn'e -eontain'er, a layer of cocoon inc'as'ed larvae between the bottom of the container an'dthe cover thereof, with the-cocoons adheringto the bottom and cover, whereby a relative separation of the cover and bottom of thecontainer will break-onetime adherin "cocoons and exposeithe larvae therein.

2. 'Live larvae packing and storin means comrising a plurality or'eontainers each havihg a bottom, side-aiidb nfl walls ronning an o en top eoz npartment -the depth'or wh i is substantially the thiekness o'f -'a larva to be storedfthe bet-tom of each container above' the-lowerone iorinin g'a -removable coverror' tneieomainer next-below, a

4 removable cover closing the compartment of the upper container, a layer of cocoon incased larvae between the bottom of each container and the cover thereof, with the cocoons adhering to the adjacent bottom and cover, whereby a separation of the cover and the bottom of any one of the containers will break open the adhering cocoons lengthwise of and expose the larvae therein.

3. Live larvae packing and storing means comprislnga container havingat-ieast two opposed separable walls forming a compartment the depth of which between said walls is substantially the to be stored, a layer of cocoon incased l arvaein said compartment between said walls with the cocoons adhering to said walls whereby a separation thereof will break open the adhering cocoons lengthwise of and expose the larvae therein. A

' 4. Live larvae packing and storing means comrising a container having at least two opposed separable walls, pervious to air, forming a compartmentthe depth of which between said walls is substantially the thicknessof a larva to be stored, a layer of cocoon incased larvae in said compartment between said Walls with the cocoons adhering to said walls whereby a separation thereof will break open the adhering cocoons lengthwise of and expose thelarvae therein.

FREDRICK GOULD.

References Cited in=-the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

